My Physician Side Hustle, Part 2

Here is part 2 of my series building passive income by creating The Motivated M.D. Enjoy!

Hard to believe I am already writing part 2!  It has been an absolute whirlwind getting this site up and running! I now understand the ‘hustle’ in side hustle.

Initially when I wrote My Physician Side Hustle, Part 1 I had only ever written on Microsoft Word.  I had never researched starting a blog.  There is much more that goes into building a website, writing, publishing, and accumulating a following then I realized.  Below I share my updates and advice on content creation and website construction as I continue to pursue my physician side hustle.  Enjoy!

Where we left off

When last we spoke, I had written My Physician Side Hustle, Part 1. 

This was predominantly a description of my decision to create passive income through creating a blog.  At the time of writing that post, I was strictly putting my thoughts on paper.  I got started writing during free time working in a COVID ICU.  I would have an occasional 15 or 30 minutes between rounds or patient care and I would put my thoughts on paper.  During those early months, the idea of actually creating a website was a distant dream.

Creating content

I spent the better part of 2021 strictly writing.  From everything I could gather, it seemed creating great content is vital to success.  So, I took that advice to heart…and I wrote. 

I found myself writing on just about anything that came to mind.  I was heavily influenced by content creators like The White Coat Investor, Physician on Fire, Passive Income M.D., The Frugal Physician, The Physician Philosopher, etc.  I read tirelessly.  The more I read, the more I wrote.  I felt aspects of my life would be relevant to others in the healthcare field. 

My goal was to write at least 20 posts before even thinking about starting a site.  I was afraid of publishing The Motivated M.D. without descent content.  From March 2021 through to December of that year I only wrote.  When I finally had 20 posts, I decided to take the next step.

The Motivated M.D.

Before I could acquire a domain name for my site, I had to have a name.  With so many other influencers out there with names that included ‘white coat,’ ‘doctor,’ ‘physician,’ I had no idea if an original name even existed! 

During my initial writing I had felt that the driving force to my productivity was my sheer determination…or grit…or…my motivation!  Returning to my writing, it appeared clear that motivation was a persistent factor in this endeavor. 

And thus, The Motivated M.D. was founded.

Fortunately, TheMotivatedMD.com was available on Google Domains.  With the purchase of the domain, as well as MotivatedMD.com (just for safe keeping) I officially had taken the first steps towards building my dream.  The reality started to set in…

Purchasing server hosting and WordPress

From the time a domain was purchased and The Motivated M.D. was founded, things moved quickly. 

I spent late nights researching how to actually start and promote a blog.  There was ample information out there.  One of my most helpful resources was Successful Blogging: 10 Steps to Building and Growing a Website, published by the Physician on Fire.  I couldn’t recommend this resource enough; total lifeline.

I personally used Bluehost to host my website.  The cost of entry was low and WordPress was included (as it is for most hosting platforms).  Shortly after purchasing hosting, I found it would be much easier to transfer my domains from Google Domains over to Bluehost.  I did this mostly to have the majority of my domain information under one roof.  This also allowed me access to additional features.  Following the steps above, I now had my domains, my hosting purchased, and a platform to build my website.

Let the games begin…

Steep learning curve

Let me start by acknowledging that I consider myself a semi-intelligent person.  To make it in medicine you have to have a strong drive and an even better work ethic.  With that in mind, it was pretty darn difficult to self-educate on website creation!  I have developed quite a respect to all my fellow bloggers out there who started from scratch.  Fortunately, there are endless amounts of video tutorials, guides, and articles online to help streamline this process.  That said, it doesn’t make it much easier. 

I am a full-time physician, trying to start a small business at night while still juggling fatherhood and marriage.  The only saving grace was I had recently finished studying for my pulmonary board exam.  I was already working a schedule that built in extensive study time each day.  All I had to do was replace my medical studying with WordPress education, voila!

I treated WordPress like I do a question bank.  I would have an idea for my website, I would have no clue how to do it…so I would research.  If my research took me somewhere new, I followed that lead until I felt confident I had a solution.  I did this for about two weeks straight until I had a working website that was (somewhat) user-friendly.

Imposter Syndrome

This part is real. 

About halfway through this entire process I would catch myself reflecting pessimistically on my writing.  Why would anyone care what I have to say?  Who am I to write about this?  What could I possibly bring to the table?  The idea that someone as educated as a fellow colleague would read what I have to say was anxiety provoking.

Vulnerability was another issue. 

So far, I have tried to keep myself anonymous.  This decision was made mostly out of this feeling of being vulnerable, but also protection for my wife and children.  I have no doubts I won’t remain anonymous forever.  The idea of acknowledging my identity is something I am open to, but until I can see where this journey takes me, I’d rather those close to me not know. 

Early recognition

What was so incredible was after only 10 days of having my website exposed to the world, my posts were picked up by some of my biggest names in physician finance!  My article on Tackling our $670,000 debt fast was acknowledged by The White Coat Investor in his January 2022 Newsletter.  That very same week, the Physician on Fire included my article on Choosing refinancing over PSLF in his Sunday Best! 

Just like that traffic to my website skyrocketed!  It was incredibly validating to see my work make it into the hands of so many from sources I respect.  Few things have made me feel so grateful.  Thank you.

Setting realistic expectations

The last thing I will touch on are my realistic expectations of The Motivated M.D.  At this time, the website is in its infancy.  I am still trying to juggle writing helpful posts while still promoting the site.  I can only expect so much of myself while working full time and prioritizing my family…in the midst of another COVID-19 surge.

One of the purposes of this ‘side hustle’ has been to both document my journey and to create passive income.  The journey has begun, but monetization of the website has not. 

As it stands currently, I plan to publish an article a week, and to continue to promote the site with regularity.  I only want to involve monetization and affiliates if I believe in them.  The last thing I want to do is destroy the trust of my audience by blasting my intellectual property with ads that bare no relevance to my consumers. 

The numbers as of 2021

This section is a portion I plan to keep running. Here I lay out all my expenses as well as my income to show you how long it takes for this site to turn a profit. Spoiler alert, we ain’t there yet!

Expenses:

• Google Domain purchases: $25.98
• Bluehost server hosting with WordPress website builder (3 years): $298.48
• Transferring 2 domains from Google to Bluehost: $58.48
• Mailchimp (free subscription up to 2,000 subscribers): $0.00
• Mailmunch (free subscription): $0.00
• Shareaholic (free subscription): $0.00
• Ad campaigns (I have done zero campaigns): $0.00

Total Expenses in 2021: $382.94

Income:

• I have not monetized my website at this time: $0.00

Total Income in 2021: $0.00

Net Income: -$382.94

Coming soon, Part 3

Keep your eyes out for Part 3!  My next steps will include continued content on the site, building an email list, and collaborating with others in the physician finance sector.  I literally cannot wait to update you as my adventure continues.  As always…

Stay Motivated!

The Motivated M.D.

If you liked Part 2 of My Physician Side Hustle, please follow us on Twitter, and Instagram! Also please leave comments down below, I would love to hear your opinion or experience building your own side hustle.

Standard Disclaimer: None of the information on this website is meant as individualized financial or medical advice.  These posts may contain affiliate links.